PERSPECTIVE

As I sit here on my front porch at the beginning of March, with the sun peeking through this misty morning, I find myself in a t-shirt after a morning jog. My soul is refreshed by the beauty of spring. Little raindrops in delicate rows cling tenaciously to the branches of every tree, transformed into brilliant sparkles when the sun shines through. The songs of a thousand birds fill the air. I can pick out a few of them—the mourning dove softly cooing, the house finch in the maple tree closest to me, the chickadees calling “Spring’s coming” back and forth, the cardinal down the row of pines, robins, finches, and even a family of crows. What a joy it is to hear them all again after the cold, frosty world of winter! Already the grass is growing, and I cannot wait to get my garden prepped for the seeds that can be planted early, and to start others for transplanting later. Every season has its joys, and I truly love them all!

Yet, the way we experience life is all about perspective. What does the word perspective mean? It is the way you interpret or judge the world around you…how you see yourself and others… it impacts your behavior, your actions, and your responses.

You too can love all the joys each season has to offer…or only love some of them…or really none at all. For the truth is, you will usually find what you are looking for.

After writing the newsletter article last month, I came across a video clip that made me laugh, and I had to share it with my husband. Here I had just been telling him—and you—about wonderful things to love about February when I discovered this clip from news host Kevin Killeen, who had a very different perspective.

He’s standing on a balcony on a gray, gloomy morning overlooking part of the city. His opening statement is, “February is the worst month of the year.”

What?!? You’ve got to be kidding me, I thought to myself.

He went on:

“But it's an honest month. It's a month that doesn't hold up life any better than it really is. Look around downtown on a February workday. This looks like a place where people who are being punished are sent…they’re just barely able to get across the street and hunker over a bowl of chili…also lotions, because everybody is itchy and tired and irritable. Even the land is tired in February.

Most of the birds who can afford it have gone to Florida, and the trees that once cheered us—they’re hard to look at this month. It's as if there is some awful truth out there in the trees hiding in the branches. When life is stripped down to the starkness of February, to try to hide the bleakness of February, man invented Valentine's Day… But then February answered back with another holiday—Ash Wednesday. What other month can host a holiday designed to remind us that we're all going to die?”

He concluded this way:

“That's February for you. It is bleak. It is honest. And it just tells you the way it really is. My father used to have a saying: if you can live through February, you'll live another year.”

Have mercy…how could we even be talking about the same month?!?  What different perspectives!

February arrives in quiet splendor. Winter’s wonderland still dazzles—fields and trees glittering with frost, days stretching longer, and the sun peeking through the clouds more often now. Heart garlands are strung, treats are tucked away for sweet surprises, and cards are shared with those we love…

While I had a good laugh comparing his view of February with mine, a more solemn awareness crept into my mind…some people live their entire lives like this—always seeing the gray, the dark, the inconvenient, the ugly. Over time, their perspective becomes their reality. It’s not because beauty, joy, or the lovely things of life don’t exist. It’s simply because they don’t choose to see them. Which February would you want to experience? 

Ralph Waldo Emerson said it this way: “If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years, how man would marvel and adore.” Why not marvel at the beauty of nature and the infinite evidences of a loving Creator and Redeemer every single day?

The encouraging truth is that perspective can be molded and changed.

Scripture reminds us:

“I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”
—Psalm 139:14

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”
—Psalm 107:8

Wayne W. Dyer once said,
“Loving people live in a loving world. Hostile people live in a hostile world. Same world.”

Dale Carnegie wrote,
“It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.”

Anaïs Nin said,
“We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are.”

And Steven Furtick summarized it well: “Your perspective will either become your prison or your passport. It will either confine you to the way things are or launch you into the way things are meant to be.”

For the Christian, perspective is more than positive thinking—it is a reflection of the heart. When our eyes are fixed on Christ, our view of life begins to change. Gratitude replaces complaint. Hope rises where discouragement once lived. Beauty appears in places we might have once overlooked.

A Christ-centered perspective trains the soul to look for God’s fingerprints everywhere—in the quiet sparkle of raindrops on bare branches, in the songs of the birds, in the wonder of the changing seasons. When we choose gratitude, we acknowledge that every good gift comes from our loving Father. When we choose to see through the lens of faith, we begin to recognize that even ordinary moments are filled with evidence of His goodness and grace.

So may we ask the Lord each day to shape our perspective—to open our eyes to His wonders, to soften our hearts with thankfulness, and to help us see the world the way He does. And perhaps tomorrow morning, as the sun peeks through the mist and the birds begin their chorus again, we will notice something we might have missed before… even the ordinary moments of life sparkle with the quiet evidence of His goodness.

Amie Hubbard | Family Ministries Director

60 Second Sale

            “Oh no,” I thought, “Why here, why now?!” I was walking up to a restaurant to sell Christian books to raise money for my education. Usually this would not be a problem because I would just go to the manager, canvass them, and head to the next business. The only problem was that this particular morning our leader had challenged us to canvass the customers in restaurants. There was no way I was getting out of this challenge because I was chosen to train a new girl named Abby how to canvass. “I have to be an example to her, I can’t just walk by all these people!” I thought as we entered the perimeter of the restaurant.

            With many silent prayers, I walked up to a happy looking couple dining at a table outside, only to find that it was their first date and they did not want to be interrupted. I then canvassed a man sitting alone inside the restaurant and he gave a small donation for a Steps to Christ. To my relief, no one else was eating at the restaurant and I was finally able to canvass the lady at the front desk. 

            “May I speak with the owner or manager please?” I asked with a smile. I was told that he was in a meeting, but that was no problem for me, because I was hoping to leave the restaurant before any other customers arrived. I turned and started towards the door when, to my dismay, I realized that there were stairs leading to a second floor of the restaurant! I wanted to leave the building, but the thought pressed in my mind, “what if this is the last chance some of these people have to ever learn about Jesus?” I had to go. 

            As I half willingly climbed up the stairs, I looked over the railing at who was up there and quickly realized that this was the very meeting the owner was preoccupied with. I immediately turned around to flee before they noticed me coming up the steps, but was met by the smiling face of Abby. “She’s learning from you,” I thought, “and if you run away from scary experiences she will too and miss out on many blessings.” I reprimanded myself and slowly turned around and climbed the last few stairs. 

            I briskly walked up to the table, introducing myself and jumping straight into my canvass, passing out books and not giving anyone time to put a word in. Never have I ever said a canvass as fast as this one! In less than a minute I was through with it. I started to catch my breath and waited expectantly for their replies. 

            The owner reached for his wallet, pulled out a donation, and handed it to me with the words, “I’ll take all of these,” while gathering up the six books I had laid in front of him. 

            “Thank you so much sir!” I exclaimed, trying to contain my excitement. Sensing that they wanted to get back to their meeting I went back down the stairs and, finally, walked out the door. I stopped for a second as I realized that that sale had been made in only 60 seconds!

            “Wow!” said Abby, who had been observing the whole time, “Canvassing restaurants really does work!”

            “Yeah!” I agreed, “And from this experience I learned you should never be afraid to ask. It could be the last time Christianity is offered to them.” 

by Jennifer Landis

    It was October, and morning dawned brisk and cool just like any other autumn day. But by noon Pierres world had turned upside down. The Edict of Nantes had been revoked, and the Huguenots were no longer free to practice their religion. Anyone who refused to convert would be imprisoned, and the dragoons had orders to kill anyone who tried to escape.In just a few days the fate of Pierres family would rest on his 12-year-old shoulders. But in the meantime a mysterious beggar would appear on their doorstep with a cryptic message, and a moonlit journey to Grand-pres estate would expose an unexpected spy.

     Strangers in the Land is an exciting book that will keep you and your family on the edge of your seats. I read this book every year to my students and it is one of their favorites!   ~ Jennifer

     To find used books like this and many more, contact John Segar. His collection of thousands of used Adventist books for discounted prices is one you don't want to miss experiencing! 

John Segar - (269) 781-6379 | 12505 Park Hill Ln Marshall, MI 49068

Changing Perspective: Reframing Our Thoughts

One of the most powerful skills we can teach our children is how to look at a situation from a different perspective. In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), this is called reframing. Reframing means learning to notice a thought that may be unhelpful, exaggerated, or simply not fully true, and then replacing it with a thought that is more balanced, honest, and helpful.

For example, a child might think, “I messed up, so I’m terrible at this.” Reframing helps them pause and say, “I made a mistake, but mistakes help me learn.” The situation has not changed, but the way they are seeing it has. That new perspective often brings more peace, courage, and wisdom.

As Christian families, we can connect this practice to faith. So often, discouragement comes when we look at life only through the lens of fear, failure, or feelings. But God invites us to see things through truth. Philippians 4:8 reminds us to think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. Reframing is not pretending hard things are easy. It is choosing to ask, “What is true here? What would God want me to remember right now?”

This is a wonderful habit to practice together as a family. When a child says something negative or hopeless, gently help them shift their perspective. Ask, “Is that thought completely true?” “What is another way to look at this?” “What does God’s Word say?” Little by little, children can learn that while they cannot always control what happens, they can learn to pause, think, and see things more clearly.

by Jennifer Landis APCC

Strengthen Your Marriage by Growing Closer to Christ

The greatest growth in your marriage happens when you are growing in Christ. Based on Ephesians 3:20, this powerful seminar series will challenge and strengthen your faith as Melody shares how to take your relationship with God to the next level—from spiritual dwarf to spiritual giant.

Topics include personal and corporate revival, preparing for the Latter Rain, praying effective, Scripture-based prayers, victory in daily life, discerning God’s will, understanding the gift of the Cross, and more. Through inspiring testimonies, personal stories, and practical tools, Melody will equip you to deepen your walk with God—bringing new life to your faith and your marriage.

You're not just invited, but needed! Young and young at heart, singles, couples, families and friends, there is something for everyone! God is moving, and we are excited to be launching another local mission trip to our Kentwood SDA Church. So much has already been accomplished, and as renovations near completion, we are prayerfully preparing for the grand opening Sabbath on May 2. Our desire is for even the outside of this space to beautifully reflect the goodness and creativity of our amazing Creator.

This is more than just a work project—it’s an opportunity to serve with purpose, to connect heart-to-heart, and to experience the joy of ministry in action. There is a place for everyone, and your presence truly matters. We need you!

For this mission trip, we’ll be focusing on landscaping—helping create a welcoming, beautiful environment that reflects God’s handiwork. If you’re able, please bring tools such as shovels, rakes, gloves, buckets for hauling weeds and mulch, wheelbarrows, and anything else that might help us serve efficiently together. Don't forget your water bottle!

Join us for our next mission trip on April 19 at Kentwood SDA Church at 9:00am. Come ready to serve, to fellowship, and to be blessed as we work together as the hands and feet of Jesus.

Let’s come together in faith, in unity, and in love—click the button to register and be part of what God is doing! Lunch is provided so we need to know how many to plan for. 

Can’t make this one? Sign up to stay informed about future opportunities. Let’s be the hands and feet of Jesus—click the button to register today!

Registration for the Camp Au Sable Marriage Retreat is almost full! 

Join us for a beautiful weekend themed Grace meets Grit, where love and faith grow deep! You won’t want to miss this special time filled with inspiring messages, laughter, engaging activities, and sweet moments of connection with each other and friends.

Make this retreat a mission opportunity by sponsoring a young couple from your church or inviting couples around you to join in this special weekend. Let’s grow together and strengthen marriages in our community! 

Secure your spot today! 🌿

Click on the posters of upcoming events for more information!

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